This invention relates to animated figures, in particular to puppets that are controlled from above.
Puppets can be categorized into four different groups. The first group includes puppets designed to be manipulated on the hand or fingers. The second includes puppets controlled from within, behind, or underneath with rods and/or mechanical actuators. The third includes two dimensional jointed figures and shadow puppets. The fourth, to which the present invention appertains, includes puppets controlled from above. This group includes puppets controlled with strings (marionettes), and puppets controlled with rods, known as Roman or Sicilian puppets.
Marionettes generally utilize a rigid structure from which a jointed figure is suspended by strings. The figure is animated by artfully manipulating the strings from above to lift and lower parts of the figure to which the strings are attached. Great skill is required to produce a balanced and pleasing effect. In the hands of an untrained user the figure appears to simply swing around and bob aimlessly. In addition the strings are easily tangled, especially when improperly handled or stored. Marionettes in the hands of younger children often become irreparably knotted. As a toy, they are usually short-lived.
Roman or Sicilian style puppets have a rigid rod fixed to the head and extending vertically to a cylindrical handle having a hook which suspends it from a horizontal bar. A second rod is often used to control a sword, and is tied to the first rod near the handle. In a variation of the Sicilian puppet occasionally adopted for use as a toy, a string for manipulating the hands is draped from the hook. Articulation of this type of puppet is limited. Although appropriate for the very stylized and combative nature of traditional Sicilian puppet dramas, the controls offer very little of the subtle positioning of the head and body obtainable with a marionette. An unskilled performer can do little more than bob the characters around and bash them into each other.
For general usage and particularly for children the existing overhead puppets do not offer an acceptable combination of ease of use, performability, and durability. As a result these puppets appear far less frequently in the toy market than the other varieties.